As technology advances, consumer electronics devices tend to play larger roles due to increased functionality and mobility. For example, mobile phones, navigation devices, embedded devices, and other such devices provide a wealth of functionality beyond core applications. However, increased functionality adds difficulty to the learning curve associated with using electronic devices, and increased mobility intensifies the demand for simple mechanisms to interact with devices on the go. For example, existing systems tend to have complex human to machine interfaces, which may inhibit mass-market adoption for various technologies. For example, when a user wishes to perform a relatively simple task on a mobile phone, such as purchasing a ring tone, the user often is forced to navigate through a series of menus and press a series of buttons. In some instances, this may result in the transaction not necessarily occurring, as the user may prefer to avoid the hassles altogether. As such, there is ever-growing demand for ways to exploit technology in intuitive ways.
Voice recognition software may enable a user to exploit applications and features of a device that may otherwise be unfamiliar, unknown, or difficult to use. However, many existing voice user interfaces (when they actually work) still require significant learning on the part of the user. For example, users often cannot directly issue a request for a system to retrieve information or perform an action without having to memorize specific syntaxes, words, phrases, concepts, semantic indicators, or other keywords/qualifiers. Similarly, when users are uncertain of particular needs, many existing systems do not engage the user in a productive, cooperative dialogue to resolve requests and advance a conversation. Instead, many existing speech interfaces force users to use a fixed set commands or keywords to communicate requests in ways that systems can understand. Using existing voice user interfaces, there is virtually no option for dialogue between the user and the system to satisfy mutual goals.
The lack of adequate voice user interfaces results in missed opportunities for providing valuable and relevant information to users. Not only does this potentially leave user requests unresolved, in certain instances, providers of goods and services may lose out on potential business. In an increasingly global marketplace, where marketers are continually looking for new and effective ways to reach consumers, the problems with existing voice user interfaces leaves a large segment of consumer demand unfulfilled. Furthermore, existing techniques for marketing, advertising, or otherwise calling consumers to action fail to effectively utilize voice-based information, which is one of the most natural, intuitive methods of human interaction.
Existing systems suffer from these and other problems.